Bush Defends Wolfowitz (AG Gonzo UPDATE)

posted at 8:54 pm on April 30, 2007 by see-dubya

Wolfowitz lays out his case in detail in the WaPo, but the last paragraph should have been the first:

“My position is, is that he ought to stay,” Bush said. “He ought to be given a fair hearing. And I appreciate the fact that . . . he’s helped the World Bank recognize that eradication of world poverty is an important priority for the bank.”

Good for him. Let’s hear more.

I’ve sort of flip-flopped; I started out leaning toward the position that AG Gonzales should stay and Wolfowitz should resign. But after finding out more about their cases I don’t think Gonzales is worth the political capital to save. (I’ve been following Patterico’s gonzo blogging as he reached the same conclusion).

While I’m not sure the charges against Gonzales are super strong, he comes off as disconnected and not particularly perspicacious or involved in the running of the office. “Hey, we need to fire some US Attorneys!” “Okay, draw up a list and I’ll sign it!” That sort of thing. And he doesn’t use e-mail. At all. Weird.

The Wolfowitz thing is different. I think, as I laid out through the links here, that the charges are trumped up by some ambitious Dutchmen. What’s more, the charges are being made precisely because Wolfowitz is dangerously competent. and serious about stopping corruption in the countries the World Bank loans your money to.

If the WSJ is right it looks like the fix may already be in against the Wolf. While it’s unlikely that he’ll drum up any real grassroots support, he could sure use some.

UPDATE: Patterico’s guest blogger WLS, who knows a bit about how the DOJ operates, thinks White House support for AG Gonzales is evaporating. And WLS, until now a Gonzo supporter, thinks he ought to resign.

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The Africans are sticking up for Wolf. Africans have had enough of Europeans and their neo-colonialism (the real kind, not the Leftie-pretend-make-you-feel-guilty kind). Africans are very interested in looking to America for inspiration and support.

That and playing favorites with his girlfriend to get her a bit more money.

Nonfactor on April 30, 2007 at 9:56 PM

Go inform yourself some more on the politics of what’s going on, the big power struggle being waged over there, then comment. At least he isn’t buying himself chieftanships from Nigeran tribalelders,like some have done in the past… this accusation is pretty tame compared to what the Europeans have done using their positions.

Puuleeeze! Wolfowitz ‘girlfriend’ #1 Was an employee before He took over the bank. #2 The raise was reviewed by the appropirate people before it was approved. Wolfowitz didn’t give anyone a raise. #3 The woman earned a pay raise in the private sector. BFD!

I have yet to hear a coherent narrative that leads to the conclusion that Wolfowitz did anything wrong at all. Did or did not the board insist that he set his girlfriend’s compensation for having to change jobs based on his employment, despite his efforts to recuse himself?

None of this is surprising when you consider that the “ad hoc committee” is dominated by Europeans who have been leading the campaign to oust Mr. Wolfowitz. Four of the committee’s seven members are European, including its Dutch chairman, a Frenchman, Norwegian and Russian. The others hail from Ethiopia, Mexico and China, but the Europeans have the majority and are running this railroad.

To be ‘railroaded’ by Europeans on anything to do with girlfriends is hysterically hypocritical. It’s more likely they are using their votes against Mr. Bush and because they don’t like a hard-nosed Jewish American, who’s not liberal.

Bush should hang tough on Gonzo and Wolfie and DO NOTHING. He should give Waxman/Pelosi/Reid/Schumer/Spector, et. al, absolutely NOTHING!

No scalps. Nada. Zip. ZERO.

Both scandals are made up out of whole cloth. They’re BS.

We have a saying: DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS! Firing either man is feeding the trolls and whetting their appetitite for more. If you give the Democrats either, who in the administration would be next? Condi? Cheney? Bush himself?

If they want Wolfowitz and Gonzales out, let them do it the way proscribed in the Constitution: IMPEACHMENT.

Let them get a majority vote in the House, and a 2/3 majority in the Senate the way the Constitution says. LET THEM TRY!

I predict that the Democrats won’t even. If they do, they forever poison the well in an attempt to get either Bush or Cheney via impeachment. Nothing will turn the people off as the perception that the Democrats are being vindictive and petty with an uncontrollable case of extreme partisan BDS.

Here’s a thought.

Gonzales ought to be impaneling a Grand Jury to investigate Harry Reid’s bribes and land deals. And another to investigate Henry Waxman’s income tax returns. And a third to investigate Schumer’s role in illegally obtaining Mike Steele’s credit report.

And two more to go after Jay Rockfeller and Dick Durbin for leaking top secret information to the New York Times.

And have the DOJ publish the name of the Democrats on the DC Madam’s “customer list.” Serve them all subpoenas to testify for the prosecution — and pull the rug out from under ABC news and their little plan to play “gotcha” with the list.

GEORGE BUSH! STOP SCREWING AROUND AND GO AFTER THESE DEMOCRATIC SCABBED-OVER PIMPLES ON THE BUTT CHEEKS OF OUR REPUBLIC for playing petty partisan politics while the country is fighting a war! PLAY HARDBALL AND TAKE NO PRISONERS!

Gonzales ought to be impaneling a Grand Jury to investigate Harry Reid’s bribes and land deals. And another to investigate Henry Waxman’s income tax returns. And a third to investigate Schumer’s role in illegally obtaining Mike Steele’s credit report.

And two more to go after Jay Rockfeller and Dick Durbin for leaking top secret information to the New York Times.

And since he isn’t about to do that… That is the reason I want to see him gone. He should have been gone LONG before this bogus case over U.S Attorneys being fired for good cause came up.

If They had any ‘Malkin gumballs’ they would (figuratively) grab Waxman & co, by the collars and shake them until they understand that the President has the Constitutional authority to fire any or every single one merely if he doesn’t like the color of their sox.

The only real negatives I can see to firing Gonzalez now is letting the moonbats think they won, and then getting Congressional confirmationl of anyone even slightly more agressive against criminals and traitors.

Gonzales should learn that the best defense is a strong offense. He has nothing to lose, so I second these great suggestions:

Gonzales ought to be impaneling a Grand Jury to investigate Harry Reid’s bribes and land deals. And another to investigate Henry Waxman’s income tax returns. And a third to investigate Schumer’s role in illegally obtaining Mike Steele’s credit report.

And two more to go after Jay Rockfeller and Dick Durbin for leaking top secret information to the New York Times.

And have the DOJ publish the name of the Democrats on the DC Madam’s “customer list.” Serve them all subpoenas to testify for the prosecution — and pull the rug out from under ABC news and their little plan to play “gotcha” with the list.
PLAY HARDBALL AND TAKE NO PRISONERS!

Give them a tast of their own medicine.

georgej on May 1, 2007 at 8:17 AM

There’s ol’ Sandy Berger – slap him with espionage charges -let him be busy with that – what else could he have possibily wanted White House notes for? Perhaps he would want to explain himself better?
Any way to charge Nagin and Blanco with gross misuse of Federal Funds, gross neglet … surely there are some chargesthat would be appropriate, above and beyond the city and state level.
Lots of meat out there just waiting to be seared on the grill.

Did or did not the board insist that he set his girlfriend’s compensation for having to change jobs based on his employment, despite his efforts to recuse himself?

Splunge on April 30, 2007 at 11:30 PM

Absolutely right. This Wolfowitz thing is ridiculous. The bank reviewed the case last year and determined nothing improper had occurred. It’s all down to bank politics that this is coming out now. And where are all the feminists rising up to defend Shaha Riza? She’s a highly respected professional who’s had her career disrupted by this mess. But as we saw with the issue of female bloggers, liberals only protest unfair treatment of liberal women.